Number of days for pre-tour cities: RS Prague/Budapest tour

I was in Cresky Krumlov on a day trip from Lintz, Austria a few years ago with an Austrian colleague. Indeed it is as cute and charming as pictures suggest. It is also very touristy. It did not feel authentic but still we enjoyed ourselves. We didn’t see everything in our day trip but I would think a full day would be enough. So two nights.

Kenko wrote this reply, but it was on my other email, so I deleted that one. Here’s his information:

“Cesky Krumlov is still cute and charming. Try for weekdays because weekends get really crowded.

Tabor is on the way to Prague and makes for a great stop with its medieval center and its underground tunnels.

Kutna Hora, east of Prague makes for a great daytrip from Prague.”

We enjoyed spending a couple of days in Brno.

I’ve been to Karlovy Vary and enjoyed it. It is touristy though.

Do you have to fly? Take a look at the train options, most of which involve an overnight in Vienna (or Munich). Maybe something will strike your fancy. https://www.seat61.com/international-trains/trains-from-Prague.htm#Prague-Italy

BethFL & Kenko, thank you for your remarks about Cesky Krumlov! It’s a 3-hr set of trains to reach it.

Thank you, Carol! I will look up Brno as an option.

Thanks, Diane! Karlovy Vary looks very nice, plus some of the hotels are so elegant for a different experience.

G3rryCee, interesting thought. Two full days on a train vs. a 2-hr flight. I have been to Munich & Vienna multiple times, so a stop over at either for a day of sightseeing isn’t as appealing for me as being in the Czech Republic.

I decided to book one night in Prague & two nights at Cesky Krumlov pre-tour. I will fly from Rome over to Prague three days before the tour begins.

Jean, I think I said this on the other, don’t remember.

The RS tour really does give enough time to give a fair view of Budapest. Sort of rare for their tours that stop in Budapest. But one more night could sure go to good use.

During the four nights in Budapest RS only accounts for two evening events so you need to decide on that. During the 3 days of the tours in Budapest they are only half day tours and they cover a lot of ground in a half day so if there is anything of great interest to you in those morning tours you might want to plan to return. For instance, walking around the castle is great, but going into the castle museum is sort of amazing if you are into the very unique history of the Magyars and Budapest ... so that would be a return to the castle.

The one subject the tour itinerary does not mention is Jewish Budapest. Sort of strange because Budapest was among the most Jewish cities in Europe before the Holocaust. The perception/joke around town is everyone has Jewish blood because the Jewish population was so assimilated …. Even the grandest synagogue in town was designed to have some of the feel of a church to demonstrate assimilation.

On the subject you could easily spend a day and two days would be better. There are two roads for the topic, one is pre-war to the Holocaust, and the other is Jewish Budapest today. Oprah Winfrey did a great show in 2015 that focused on modern Jewish life in Budapest and there was once a many, many links to it in full and in part on the internet; but they seem to have all been removed. A shame.

Have a great trip.